Several hundred feet from this spring is the lowest surface elevation in North America- 282 feet below sea level.
And 50 miles further west is the highest point in the contiguous 48 states- Mt Whitney 14,505 feet above sea level.
Interestingly, the same tectonic forces that shoved Mt Whitney so high also dropped Death Valley so low (a type of block-faulting).

Thanks guys.
Death Valley has fascinated me for many years, and I've probably made a dozen trips there- so naturally I also became interested in the science of the place. And about 15 years ago I read about plate tectonics (aka continental drift), and wow! Suddenly the formation of the great western US destinations I've visited came into focus.
Charlie